Do you guys tow a baby trailer?

Attaches to seatpost-super easy unless you have a dropper I suppose. He can either pedal or just chill-as he gets older he may want too-also just ordered a sunshade for him-simple and small, but something-

Re: Do you guys tow a baby trailer?

Originally Posted by Nelson34

Attaches to seatpost-super easy unless you have a dropper I suppose. He can either pedal or just chill-as he gets older he may want too-also just ordered a sunshade for him-simple and small, but something-

Do you guys tow a baby trailer?

I actually bought this from Bassn after seeing videos on YouTube of people using it to take their kids on trails. The child can either pedal or not and the seat adjusts easily to accommodate the child. Co worker turns out had one and she said her kids love it. Only drawbacks reported are weight and if the child falls asleep, their head isn't supported, so you'll have to pull over and let them sleep most likely since you don't want their necks swaying back and forth constantly.
Also comes with multiple adapters for different seatpost diameters. Super easy to assemble and my son enjoyed it-he did end up falling asleep however-that's where the cargo bike just can't be beat-

- always assume the kiddie will fall asleep, and the head will roll forward or to the side. You really want to watch out with bumpy trails particularly at young ages. There are good paved path options in a lot of places, you will want to go on trails and fireroads but paved path is really the best option for the younger ones (up to age 2 might be a good guess but depends on the kid).

- dust in the eyes is really bad, and even with a full fender (I modified one for my old hardtail to the point where it goes WAY down the tire - almost to the ground), you still get dust around the fender. So some full rain shield type cover is mandatory (not just a mosquito net) - and that means shady areas or cooler temps are nice since otherwise it can really heat up in there. But it also means you're free to use a full suspension bike with no fender at all.

- if you're using a suspension bike, it's very nice to have a front shock that locks out. Towing a 50+ pound trailer up a steep hill gets super nasty front fork bob.

- if you start heading out on trails/fireroads, you need to make sure the kiddie is big enough to handle bumps. By age 2.5 my older one could handle even the hardened cow-track bumps at Coyote Lake/Harvey Bear (at least for a little while)...but at 1.5 she couldn't deal with even mild bumps on fireroads most anywhere (even fireroads that you remember as super smooth usually aren't).

- I've found that heading downhill, it's challenging to find hills that aren't too steep - it's easier to go up steep hills than down (kind of reverse of normal riding!). You can start to lose control if the trailer is heavy and your bike is light (your rear tire wants to lift off/shoot sideways). It helps to primarily use the rear brake and keep your speed really low.

- If you want to do some singletrack/widetrack make sure to check it out before hand, no matter what you remember - and of course only consider trails with very low traffic. I've even spent an extra hour clearing loose rocks off a couple miles of trail in a pre-ride (the at-the-time pretty new Gaviota trail at Coyote Lake/Harvey Bear). Of course the cows knocked more down before I came back, but it was much better.

- winds - the trailer is a huge sail and can really slow you down into the wind.

Lastly, it can really help to have a destination for the kiddie(s) to play to encourage them to want to go. Not to mention all the usual tricks (snacks, toys, etc).

Yeah, the Burly quick release attachment is the way to go. Here is a pic of my daughters set up from a few years back (now they both ride...time goes by fast). Luckily I did not hit too many hills with this configuration.

Great pics and info guys. Baby due in a few weeks so will still be some time before he goes riding, but in addition to my mtb bike, we have a couple Sparta bikes, which are awesome Dutch bikes we brought back from Holland which will work well for general urban use. Not sure about rigging up something to my '13 SC tallboy LTc though...

I picked up a Burley DeLite trailer off craigslist for $50. Love it. We got tons of use out of it. It came with a scissor style hitch attachment, but it never fit any of my frames. I ended up getting the QR attachment which is easier to use, and the part was like $15... maybe even $10. I don't remember exactly, but therebouts.

The thing was great. Room for two small kids, plus tons of gear. I actually brought a full picnic and their razor scooters with us, plus spare clothes and various kid gear.

My kids outgrew it. Also, it was a bit too bouncy for trails. I took it up Tilden to Little Farm a few times, and it was fine for that, but I wouldn't want to take it on anything rougher.

I have a WeeRide seat as well, and my kids really dug that when they were smaller.

Here they are, heading over to Angel Island for a spin. This was the last ride with the two in the trailer. My boys just got too big for it.

I used to make them wear helmets in the trailer, but they ended up getting kinked necks over it. The back of the trailer sorta forces their heads forward. I tried putting pillows behind their backs, but that didn't really help. THey liked to ride in it open top style, so I had to put a rear fender on the bike, or the rear tire would kick up rocks into their faces.

Great pics and info guys. Baby due in a few weeks so will still be some time before he goes riding, but in addition to my mtb bike, we have a couple Sparta bikes, which are awesome Dutch bikes we brought back from Holland which will work well for general urban use. Not sure about rigging up something to my '13 SC tallboy LTc though...

just plan on using the town bikes for a LONG time. We just had a baby a year ago. All my big plans went out the window. You'll want to be super careful, ride at a snails pace on the smoothest of pavement, and stop to check on him/her every two minutes (thats not a recommendation, just paternal instinct).

I think you'll find the progression to be
1- slow rides in the trailer
2 - some sort of bike mounted seat
3 - then trail rides in a totally different trailer

I have put tons of miles on my burley type double trailer with my son in it. Originally I strapped his car seat in it and moved to the little harness attached to the seat. A few things I learned:

- debris from your tire will constantly shoot in their direction. I had a friend who had a daughter with complications from this very thing. The trailer I have has an attached screen that takes care of that.

- You can flip the trailer. I did it once and it scared me more than him. Crossing a street on a green light and starting to turn left. He must have leaned at just the wrong time in the wrong direction and the next thing you know it is on it's side. He always had a helmet and this time I was thankful.

The next best thing to being able to cruise with your little ones and spend that quality time is the fact that when you get back on your regular rides you will feel the positive impact of pulling that weight behind you.

As other said - you probably need to think about change of plans for a while. Everyone recommends riding with baby in a trail when it is 1 year old (at least) - I have two months old, purchased Chariot Cougar and use it for running at this point (with Chariot's baby sling in it). Looking of how is she getting rattled by every small bump at the trail we ran, can't imagine actually riding with her...
Don't plan to wait the whole year, but looks like late fall is earliest I can think about starting slow rides...

I think the I-bert is the best thing to get if you kid's over 1 or so. They feel protected between your arms and you can talk. So sad when we have to move to a rear bike seat after he was over the weight limit...30 lbs on the ibert i think.

No trailer yet, but I worry about using it in the city. Might get one for rides on bikepaths etc. We also have a trail a bike but haven't used it yet.

Ive got a single and a double Chariot like Chum. I use the double all the time to tow the kids to school and drag them up fireroads like Kennedy, Quicksilver in Almaden, and Nisene Marks. It is a great workout / super fun to stop at the top, eat snacks, play in streams, show them animals, etc. I highly recommend it.

I think the I-bert is the best thing to get if you kid's over 1 or so. They feel protected between your arms and you can talk. So sad when we have to move to a rear bike seat after he was over the weight limit...30 lbs on the ibert i think.

Just checked and the weight limit is 38 pounds, hoping I can get a couple more months out of mine.

Ive got a single and a double Chariot like Chum. I use the double all the time to tow the kids to school and drag them up fireroads like Kennedy, Quicksilver in Almaden, and Nisene Marks. It is a great workout / super fun to stop at the top, eat snacks, play in streams, show them animals, etc. I highly recommend it.

I have a Chariot double as well and no issues with attaching to the rear quick release. It works great on fire roads and have done some bikepacking in Pt. Reyes as well. Bring a few extra straps and you can also strap a 12/16" wheeled bike on the carrier when the older ones get tired of riding their bikes (I've got 3 kids - my 3.5 yo daughter rides in the trailer and her 6 yo brother rides the bike until he gets tired).

As others has mentioned, a fully loaded trailer kicks your butt on climbs too--you may need the triple crankset.

I have a barely used Weehoo sitting in my garage, you can check it out and make an offer. It is a nice trailer, but my young one wants to ride alone. It is big enough for my 8yo, though she rides 24" full suspension now. Lots of storage space in those side bags. Also have an iBert seat for those under 2yo.

I used an iBert until my son was too lanky to comfortably ride in it - he was below the weight limit but his legs were just getting too long. We got a WeeHoo after that, which he loves. I'm about to put the iBert back on for some summer riding with my 18 month old. It's pretty tough lugging that much weight up hills, but I keep telling myself that it is good for me, and the time with the kids is top quality!